First Date
by waffleblooded
Summary: Hiei and Mukuro have been lovers for quite a while, however Hiei notices they do not act like other lovers do. He wants to change that.
1. Chapter 1

Romance was not something that easily came to Hiei, even though he and Mukuro had been more than simply superior and subordinate for a couple of years now. At first, their relationship began to grow slowly into something more after the Demon World Tournament when Hiei decided to stay with Mukuro. After he went out of his way to free her from her past, it became obvious to the both of them that they cared deeply for one another more than previously thought, and they both silently welcomed this new bond.

Their relationship did not change drastically. Neither were the type to want to go frolicking in a field of flowers, laughing like love struck teenagers all the way. Instead, their relationship progressed in the sense that Hiei now took long naps beside her rather than across from her in his self-claimed chair. They ate meals together and occasionally shared a simple kiss. There was not hand holding, long meaningful conversations, or intimacy like there would be in most other relationships. Hiei knew this. He'd watched his friends enough to know that. The way Yusuke would playfully grope Keiko's backside in public to tease and embarrass her, the way Kuwabara would stammer out a disgustingly cute love poem he'd written out for Yukina. Even the way Kurama always insisted on paying for dinner no matter the price when he took girls out. Such gestures are something he could never imagine occurring between him and Mukuro.

It's not like he was complaining. He had everything he wanted with Mukuro right now. Though it did seem like there was something his friends and their lovers had that he and Mukuro didn't. He wasn't certain what that was exactly, but he could see the longing for that in Mukuro's eyes during her few visits to the human world.

"Thanks again for babysitting, Kurama. It means a lot, man." Yusuke smiled.

"We would normally ask Yukina but Kuwabara took her to the botanical garden that just opened." Keiko chimed in. "Ryota likes you too, though." She smiled at Kurama. "He won't be much trouble. He sleeps most of the evenings." Kurama glanced at the sleeping child and nodded his understanding

Yusuke and Keiko married right after the Demon World Tournament and tonight was their third-year anniversary. Keiko birthed a healthy baby boy five months ago, and tonight Kurama was in charge of watching over the child while Yusuke and Keiko enjoy their night out, but they didn't mind for Hiei to stick around, either. However, Keiko did make sure to make him promise he wouldn't curse around the baby. As if the infant would pick up on such habits when it could barely keep it's own head up. After Yusuke and Keiko left the home, and Kurama was certain they wouldn't be returning for forgotten items, he turned his attention to Hiei.

"So what brings you here, Hiei? Lovers quarrel, or are you genuinely interested in watching me change diapers tonight?" Kurama joked. He could always pick up when Hiei was seeking advice.

Hiei groaned. It embarrassed him to think Kurama knew him so well. It felt almost invasive, but he wasn't going to deny it this time. "Not exactly a lovers quarrel." He stated plainly, leaving room for Kurama to push on.

"Oh?" This was different. "What is it then?" he inquired. Hiei could barely find the words for this matter. Why hadn't he thought of what he would say beforehand? He opted to stay silent and not meet Kurama's eyes. Finally, Kurama pushed on.

"Did you two break it off?"

"No."

"Did she do something that you're not sure how to react to?"

"No."

"Did you..." Kurama paused. "Have se-"

"NO!" Hiei boomed, cheeks tinting red. He could never imagine being so intimate with Mukuro, at least not at this stage of their relationship. Kurama laughed and held his hands up pushing lightly at the air as to say relax.

"Sorry Hiei. She's been your girlfriend for more than a year now, I figured it might have been a possibility." Hiei crossed his arms. His eyebrow twitched.

"Mukuro is not my girlfriend." He explained. "She is a strong woman. Such a title is beneath her."

"Well, seems you care a lot for her to correct me like that." Kurama smiled and Hiei's face darkened more once he realized what he had just confessed to the fox demon. He was happy Mukuro did not hear him say that. He would never be able to face her again after such a statement.

"Hiei." Kurama almost whispered. "It truly is good to see you with someone who can truly understand you. I am happy you two were able to find each other." He smiled. Hiei didn't know what to say to that. No one had ever complimented their relationship like that. He had heard people tell Keiko and Yusuke they 'looked good together' countless times. He'd never imagined someone to say something similar about his and Mukuro's bond. It felt nice.

"Yeah." was all Hiei could reply with. Kurama understood.

"So what did you want to talk about? Or was a right about the diaper thing?

Hiei grimaced at the thought. "I wanted to ask you if..." he struggled for the right words again. "If you knew how to, uh." Shit. Why was this so hard? "I want Mukuro to know I care for her, but..."

"You don't know how to show her." Kurama finished for him. Hiei nodded and took a subtle sigh of relief. He swore getting those words out was the most complicated thing he had ever done in his long life and mentally thanked Kurama for figuring it out so soon.

Kurama pondered this for awhile. Hiei was beginning to think the fox demon did not know how to help him with this one. It wouldn't have surprised him, he was part of the relationship and couldn't even figure it out on his own. Finally, Kurama spoke up.

"Have you took her on a date before?" Hiei gagged a little on the inside as carnival rides, sugary snacks, and expensive films quickly flashed across his mind. He made a face to express his offended feelings toward the idea. Dates seemed too human to properly be enjoyed by demons like Mukuro and himself. Kurama knew exactly what was going through the fire demons mind.

"You know, you don't have to do what your sister and Kuwabara tend to do," he explained. Hiei rolled his eyes at the thought of his own twin sister hanging onto that buffoon's arm. "you can simply take a walk along the beach. Talk some. Mukuro certainly doesn't leave her fortress enough anyway. It might be nice." Kurama gave Hiei a reassuring smile. Before Hiei could give his thoughts on the proposal, Ryota began to stir awake and fitted for a bottle. By the time Kurama had him out of the playpen he was sleeping in Hiei had already made his way to the window, giving Kurama a final look over his shoulder before heading out into the late evening.


	2. Chapter 2

Evening turned to night as Hiei made his way back into Demon World. The crisp air of the night wafted through his hair as he made his way to Mukuro's fortress. His face was stern, eyes dead set on the trail laid out in front of him. He was on a mission.

Before long Mukuro's ever moving home came into view. Now he pondered how the hell he would ask her out for a date. Hiei had many strong points. An excellent fighter, elemental resistance, incredible speed, and a true swordsman. But Hiei was not a hopeless romantic. In fact, he wasn't sure he even had a clue what romance was. He knew he had strong feelings for Mukuro, but there was no way he would ever write a love poem for her. He'd figured those customs were only customary for human relationships anyway. He'd never really seen other demon couples with the exception of Enki and Kokou, and although the man had won the title of King of Demon World, Hiei wouldn't say his marriage was one to idolize.

Hiei stopped his pace and growled at himself. He was beginning to feel excessively frustrated and considered calling this whole charade quits. He didn't even know how to ask the damn woman! She would probably wave him off anyway knowing her. He couldn't blatantly say 'go on a date with me' after all. That sounded absurd in his head.  
Finally, his trainwreck of a thought process came to a halt when realization dawned on him. The reason he had all these thoughts were because he was nervous. Hiei couldn't even remember a single time he'd ever felt nervous. Never had he felt nervous when his life held on by a single string, but here he was, feeling nervous over a damn woman. Unbelievable.

With a huff Hiei forced himself to march on, certain that his anger with himself would eventually cancel out his nervousness. In one swift hop, he made his way on top of the gigantic centipede fortress.

"Hiei."

Fuck.

Her voice struck him through all the noisy buzzing the fortress made on its continual treading along the landscape. He hadn't expected her to be standing outside. Had she been waiting for him? No, of course not. Fuck. He began to lose his composure again. He took a deep breath.

"Yes?"

"You seem off."

Fuck.

"Off?" He questioned as coolly as he could. "I'm just tired." He faked a yawn. Mukuro smiled.  
"And the many naps, they're not doing you justice?"

Hiei rolled his eyes. "No, I suppose not." He pushed passed her more loutish than he meant to and entered the fortress. He could bang his head against a fucking wall right now. Why was this so hard for him? He felt chagrined by his dramatic display. Mukuro must have been in a good mood, otherwise, she would not tolerate his abrasive behavior, she had proven that to Hiei more than enough times.

After a moment to compose himself once more, Hiei turned on his heels and peered out the doorway leading to the top of the fortress. For a moment he let himself gaze upon her. The way she firmly stood her ground against the vigorous wind, the way it lifted her short orange hair to reveal the undamaged portion of her face, pale as porcelain even against the darkness of the night and free of abrasion. Mukuro kept unrelenting composure even as she relaxed. She kept her shoulders stiff, back straight and fists clenched. Years of abuse and confusion taught her to keep her guard up even as she slept. Hiei could only recall a handful of times he'd caught her composure soften, but for only a moment. Hiei relished in the thought that he had been the only one to see her soften like that. Kurama's words suddenly flashed through his mind and he hoped Mukuro wasn't listening to his thoughts.

"It truly is good to see you with someone who can truly understand you. I am happy you two were able to find each other."

Hiei suddenly felt sickly warm on the inside. Guess that's what butterflies are supposed to feel like. He shook the feeling and stepped back outside onto the deck. Mukuro sensed his presence and turned her head only a little to glance at him. Silence filled the distance between them, something that was not uncommon and not unwelcome by them.

"Go somewhere with me."

"Pardon?" With an eyebrow cocked, Mukuro turned to face Hiei completely. "Where?"

Hiei shrugged. He turned and jumped from the fortress, falling to the ground far below. With a crunch of leaves under his shoes, he didn't bother to give a glance at Mukuro, knowing good and well if his proposal intrigued her she would come, if not, he'd have to try again some other time. Surely enough, Mukuro was quickly at his side. They walked leisurely together, Mukuro tailing close behind to allow Hiei to lead the way. They trekked toward a small opening in the trees that lead to a pathway wide enough to allow easy traffic to and fro. Demons of all backgrounds once used this pathway and many like it for easy passage through the dense forests that covered the majority of what was once Mukuro's land.

Being a former demon king had its perks. Although Mukuro had more time to herself than she knew what to do with, it gave opportunities like this that needed not to be rushed. Gradually as the trees thickened and their trail thinned the two demons came closer together.

A cool breeze blew through, assuring Hiei they were close. With this came the realization he'd not said a single word to her the whole time. Mukuro was a patient woman for the most part, as long as nobody rubbed her the wrong way, and for that Hiei was thankful. He appreciated that Mukuro did not need to talk continuously to know things were okay between them. She didn't need constant attention or to be showered with gifts. He wasn't sure if it was simply because of who she was or maybe it was her age, but her patience was something he would always be endlessly thankful for. In this way, she was like no other woman. He felt sickly warm again.

"Hiei?" Mukuro questioned. Hiei then realized he'd stopped walking. Before he could quickly think up an excuse or brush it off, he felt a cool hand press against his cheek. "Are you feeling alright?"

A simple yes was all Hiei could muster. He'd seen Mukuro smile warmly at him, he's watched her gaze out windows of her fortress for hours on end, he'd seen her distressed at her lowest points in life, and he hadd watched her brutally rip apart men, hell, he'd felt her powerful fists himself, yet he'd never seen her hand like this. Her hand cool to his hot cheek, softer than it's ever felt before. Her eye shined bright even in the dark of night. She looked concern.

Her expression lifted and her hand drifted away. Hiei could have cried from the loss of contact.

"I'm sorry. You're flushed and I wanted to check for a fever, but I suppose you are always warm, aren't you?" She smiled sheepishly. Her shoulders dropped. Hiei realized she'd dropped her guard. She'd relaxed for him.

That warm, sickly feeling suddenly didn't feel so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

The stars seemed brighter than usual tonight. They shot rays of light down through the thicket of trees, speckling the trail the two demons were on. A clearing finally came into sight and the sounds of rushing water met with their ears.

A large river interrupted the trail and the remains of an old swing bridge swayed in the wind. Rotten boards clung hopelessly to the wire that ran from one side to the other. Vines crawled up the old poles and across the wire. Nature was in full force with efforts to reclaim the bridge.

Hiei turned to follow up the river. "This way." He directed.

"Is there another bridge? We can jump to the other side, Hiei." Mukuro was stumped. They weren't weak demons you required an overpass in order to continue traversing. She heard Hiei huff.

"We do not need to get to the other side for where we're going." He stated flatly. Annoyance rippled through Mukuro. She was becoming tired and worn of Hiei's blatant vagueness. Still, she marched on.

Little words were exchanged between the two demons. This was usually not an uncommon occurrence and not a problem for either of them but Mukuro did not like surprises too much. It seemed fun, to begin with, but they'd been walking for nearly an hour and she was becoming bored.

"Where are we going?" She questioned with obvious annoyance braided through her words. Hiei noticed and gritted his teeth. He did not want to tell her, they were so close now, if he told her now the whole trip would seem like a waste. He replied the only way he knew how to in order to avoid the question.

"Can you not wait? Or are you bones ready to give out already?"

That snarky comment sat her on fire. Hiei had no right to talk to her with such venom, no matter what their relationship was. She stopped walking.

"Is that supposed to be aimed at my age, Hiei? I am not an old woman yet." She clutched her fists tightly. "Or are you in need or a reminder?"

Hiei had to admit to himself he may have crossed the line there. There was no avoiding this now. He spun on his heels and faced Mukuro. Her brows were furrowed.

Before Hiei could speak, Mukuro's expression softened. She sighed and looked him in the eyes.

"Hiei, when I first met you your words didn't bother me. I accepted them and sometimes even took them as a challenge. But now, when you spit at me with such venom, especially when I've done nothing to deserve it, I feel like I may break." Her words were barely above a whisper yet they still managed to punch him in the face with full force. He hadn't realized...

Hiei was trenching through unfamiliar territory here. He wasn't sure if Mukuro was aware of how big of a confession she'd just told him. Maybe it wasn't a big confession in her mind? It certainly was in Hiei's. Hiei was good at dealing with issues through the means of violence. But this... this he was not sure how to handle.

"I'm...sorry." The word left his mouth with a strange feeling. Hiei had always associated such a word with weakness and surrendering. But he didn't regret saying it. For once, maybe it was okay to show weakness. Maybe it was okay to surrender to her.

Although a tad shocked, Mukuro accepted the apology. She strolled up next to Hiei and the two marched forward once more, this time with Mukuro by his side.

Now Hiei felt the silence was not welcomed. Opening up was something difficult for Hiei. He considered the fact that he and Mukuro understand one another. They both knew of each other's pasts and often went to great lengths to aid in the pain each other felt. He'd essentially freed Mukuro from her past and went out of his way to seek out her cruel father. She, in turn, would always make sure Hiei knew he wasn't alone. He was not hated. She would not reject him. He appreciated it.

The two demons finally came to what seemed like an end. The river continued, but the bushes thickened. Hiei extended his arm between the bushes and pushed back. "When I was young I often came to this spot." He explained as he moved brush out of the way for Mukuro. He knew she appreciated the gesture.

The sound of rushing water was louder than ever and the air crisp. Mukuro stood, momentarily shocked. She took it in. Hiei had brought her to an area she'd never seen before. A large pond sat out in front of her with a thin waterfall flowing off of many rocks into the pond. The waterfall continuously set the pond in motion, ripples gently beating against the beached area and rocks that stuck out of the water. The stars glistened off of the water and the ripples made them seem like they were dancing. The pond eventually thinned as it coursed through a terrain of stones and became the river they'd just followed upstream.

"As long as I ruled this area," Mukuro began, a smile stretch across her face. "I never knew this way here," Hiei smiled and crossed his arms.

"Out of all the times I've come here, I have never seen another person here," Hiei explained.

"It's Marvelous, Hiei. Is this where you go on your walks?"

"Sometimes." He confessed. Mukuro arched a brow in amusement.

"I should punch you for not bringing me to this place sooner." She joked and sat cross-legged on top of a large boulder. Hiei leaned against on opposite of her.

"I wanted to bring you here when the time was right."

"Hiei? Is this your way of courting me?" She hesitated.

Hiei did not respond, he only looked at her. She smiled sweetly at him. "I just thought you would appreciate it is all." He managed. Mukuro was not at all convinced.

"Thank you. It's lovely here."

Hiei felt his face heat up again. He wasn't accustomed to blushing and was happy she had turned around to enjoy the view. He suddenly thought this place looked better than ever. He hesitated before deciding the best thing he could do in this situation was take a seat next to her.

Mukuro had been so absorbed in watching the waterfall and splash into the pond she hadn't even noticed his presence beside her until he sat down and sighed. She hummed and smiled at him. Hiei crept an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. It was awkward. Though she was taller than Hiei, he had a longer torso than her which made him taller when sitting down. Still, she was tucked against him in an awkward position. Her elbow jabbed at his side and she pushed it between them so that her hand rested on them. She did not want to disturb this moment. Hiei was very rarely physical with her like this.

"I... I care about you a lot." He murmured and squeezed her arm.

"I care about you too, Hiei." She looked at him. She could feel his warm breath now.

"Sometimes when I am away, especially in human world, I feel restless. I am antsy to return." He tried carefully to convey his feelings to her. He wanted her to know just how much she meant to him. "I want to continue keeping in contact with Yusuke and the others. With Yukina. But I am always eager to come back."

"I miss you too, Hiei." Yet again he was thankful for Mukuro's understanding. She knew how hard it was for him. She knew he had difficulties letting loose and forming bonds. He knew she would always be patient with him.

Suddenly, to Mukuro's surprise, Hiei kissed her. This kiss wasn't like their usual affair of quick pecks. This one had more force behind it, more emotion. He gently tilted his head and Mukuro realized she'd been sitting there completely frozen. She pushed back into the kiss, allowing her lips to entwine with his own. His lips were warm, a huge contrast to his cold personality. She wanted to melt, but it was just as scary for her as it was for him.

They broke the kiss, both simultaneously pulling away. For Mukuro, a kiss like that made her happy. It was not triggered by lust. It did not hurt her like the others she had experienced. For Hiei, it enforced a feeling of belonging. Hiei had been so uncertain about doing it. He was happy he did.

They continued to enjoy the view and each other until morning broke. They trekked back to the fortress, Mukuro's men were anxious and ready to send out a search party for her. They were relieved to see her, yet curiosity sat in. They knew not to ask, however.

The whole way back, three tiny words etched at the back of Hiei's teeth. He didn't let them escape, swallowing them back down. The time for that would come soon enough, just not right now.


End file.
